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Final Senate Vote Passes Compact 31-19 on 3rd Reading

February 27, 2015 by FARM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2015

CONTACT
Shelby DeMars
406-660-1969

Final Senate Vote Passes Compact 31-19 on 3rd Reading

(Helena, Mont.)—During the floor session of the Montana State Senate the final Senate vote (3rd Reading Vote) was held on SB 262, the bill to ratify the CSKT Water Compact. The Compact was passed by a vote of 31-19.

“I am pleased with the bi-partisan support the Compact received from the Senate,” said Senator Vincent, sponsor of SB 262 and Chairman of the Water Policy Interim Committee. “I think that we will continue to see support for the Compact grow as it moves to the House and members of the legislature are made aware of the benefits that the Compact would have for the people of Montana.”

The Compact, which was debated extensively on the Senate floor, will now be transmitted over to the House with a 31-19 vote.

“The Compact provides an alternative to the litigation that failure to pass the Compact would cause,” said Shelby DeMars, spokeswoman for Farmers And Ranchers for Montana (FARM). “As the facts of the Compact are discussed it is clear that passing the Compact will strengthen private property and water rights, while wasting millions of dollars on ill-fated litigation will only hurt taxpayers and individual water users.”

SB 262 could be introduced in the House and assigned to a committee as soon as the week after the transmittal break.

Farmers And Ranchers for Montana (FARM) is a coalition of hundreds of farmers and ranchers, united with local leaders, tribal governments, businesses, water-users, and other Montanans who support the approval of a Water Compact.